Catching the Tide
by messymind
Summary: Emma's pov as she prepares to leave Storybrooke. Just a little something I wrote for Captain Swan Valentines on Tumblr.


A/N I own nothing, notta, zilch. Hope you enjoy

A million moments had led up to this one as the dawn approached and the sun began to slowly rise. Its rays casting shadows on the docks and dancing off the water making it appear as if it were a sea of sparkling diamonds. Some of those moments had been beautiful, amazing, and magical quite literally but there had also been moments of extreme bitter sadness and moments so dark they'd rot the purest of souls. It had been four years since Emma had driven across the Storybrooke town line and now she was leaving. There was small group that was gathered in these early morning hours to wish them well. Emma was about to embark on her next great adventure, an adventure with her true loves; Henry and Killian. The irony of being a princess in love with a pirate was not lost on her, especially since that pirate was Captain Hook. At the end of the day though he was just her Lost Boy, someone searching for the same things she was and they had both finally found their home in each other.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Snow looked at her daughter a tinge of sadness in her voice "I don't want you to think we're not happy for you, it's just that we'll miss you is all."

"I know, I'll miss you and Dad too, but it will be good for Henry and it's not like we can't visit, here or in whatever land you happen to be in." Emma smiled at her mother "besides Killian been dying to take us on adventure, he's been teaching Henry to sail for months now."

Emma wasn't sure when it had happened; that she had fallen in love with him. A part of her thought maybe it had been since almost the beginning, as they had climbed the beanstalk. He had awoken something in her then, stirred feelings she had long thought had died. There were so many moments that had them leading up to this one. She sighs and remembers their first kiss fondly even though she was still unsure at the time

_"It was right after she had returned safely from the journey with Gold and she seemed more broken than ever. He had kidnapped her that night and stole her away to his ship where they drank rum and she confided the whole tale of Neal and of finding out he was Gold's son and their reunion of sorts. That she was afraid that maybe Henry would want them to be a real family and she wasn't sure that she could say no to her boy but that she was most certainly no longer in love with Neal or even angry at him, that she wanted to move on, but if Henry wanted them together. She wasn't sure she could deny him the family she had been denied. She had looked at him tentatively then, under hooded lids that were somewhat misted over by the rum. He had kissed her then his hand cupping her cheek and his hook looping her jeans to pull her closer. Their lips met and she was sure that the earth shook or maybe just the core of her very being. He had tasted of rum, the sea and truth. Their mouths had moved together in a smooth choreographed dance, their bodies had folded into each other molding perfectly together. There was the thrill but there was also a familiarity within the kiss like they had kissed a million times before, which in if she was honest with herself in her deepest desires they had. The heat that was forming between them was relenting, she felt like she would combust at any moment. Her hands were everywhere all at once, trying to take him in, to memorize the feel of him in case the moment never happened again. Then the need for oxygen was too great and they pulled apart."_

That was only the first kiss but there had been a million or maybe more since then, some stolen in dark alleys, some during fights and many in the rain but always they were filled with the same passion and desire for one another. There were nights when she'd sneak onto his ship and surprised him while he slept and the made love over and over. There were days when they had fought over what they were both their issues with trusting what it was until finally overcome with the need to be with him always she had confided the truth to him. She was in deeply, passionately and madly in love with him and then he admitted he was with her too and that his only hesitation was that losing her might break him for good. They had decided after that they deserved a real go at a relationship together. It was hard at first; her parents were over-protective among the other many challenges. Henry had been beyond thrilled though and once they had seen how happy she was with Killian her folks had come around too.

She looks over at him talking to her mother now and smiled, in this moment she thinks her heart might just explode from an overload of joy. She just cannot get enough of him. She kisses them all and laughs as her father gives Killian a tense handshake. She thinks she hears a small ounce of threat in his words as he tells the pirate to look after her and Henry. Killian just laughs at him and smiles.

All too soon it's time to go if they want to catch the tide while it's still high. With their last goodbyes she and her own little band of pirates made their way up the gangplank. She watches as Henry quickly runs up to the bow to catch the lines when Killian gives word to cast off. She stands at the side waving to her family as the sun catches the ring on her left hand and watches as they got smaller and smaller.

Emma glances back at the bow, watching Henry's face light up with pure joy as the ship cuts across the surface of the water leaving small ripples in its wake. He looked the happiest that she'd ever seen him, but then again wasn't she also the happiest she'd ever been too? Her eyes rested on Killian at the helm, he certainly struck a divine image up there in his element. The sea was where he belonged and she belonged with him. She crossed the ship and made her way up to join him, his arms encircling her as she approached, pulling her close, the both of them placing their hands on the wheel. Emma leaned back relaxing into his strong chest and closed her eyes for a brief moment as she took in a deep breath of the salty air.

"Henry sure is taking to this life at sea" she whispered into his neck "he thinks he's king of the world up there."

"Prince you mean!" Killian responded chuckling "He'd have to be a Prince since you're the Queen of my world." He finished looking down at her with a wink and a smirk.

A pressed her lips together trying to contain a smile as she scoffed tapping him playfully on the shoulder "Is the dreaded Captain Hook, scourge of the seven sea's going soft on me?" she laughed

"Aye Lass, you've ruined me, you and that boy of yours brought this old salty sea dog back from the dead." "I love you" he mumbled as he softly captured her lips with his.

Her voice cut clear across the wind as his lips left hers "Ours"

Killian looked down at her quizzically, eyebrow half cocked "Our..What?"

"We'll we're together and you've been more of a father to him than anyone else, and he adores you, and I actually think he likes you better than me with your pirate charm and all. So he's as much ours as he is mine?" the last part of her statement had come out sounding more like a question then she had planned. She sighed deeply into him "I love you too; the word love doesn't even seem do it justice though."

Killian smiled so big at her that the boyish glint sparkled in his eyes and he looked truly happy. "Henry boy "he called up to the bow "Check your front pocket!"

Henry reached into his sweater and pulled out a small bean and looked back at his new family "Is it really?" he voiced carried to the back of the ship

"That it is Lad, make a wish and toss it in, oh and make sure you hold on for dear life, your mother will kill me if she has to dive in after you." Killian's voice rang out with laughter

Emma had never been happier in her entire life; this was what true joy felt like "Where did you get that?" "Did Anton give that to you OR do I even want to know?" she looked up at him her eyebrow raised.

"You may have taken the man out of the pirate my love, but you can't take the pirate out of the man." He sounded more like the mischievous child of his youth then the grown man at her side.

Emma laughed and called up to their boy as he tossed in the bean "Where are we headed Kid?"

And the wind carried the joyous words "Neverland" back at her.


End file.
